Everything’s back to normal now. You can saunter in on Wednesday safe in the knowledge that everything is going according to plan. That is unless we all get beamed up in the night, or the world ends, or stuff just goes properly wonky. It might, but then it always might.

Ten minutes after I posted last week’s blog, this thing went up on The Comics Journal: The Day I Almost Killed Kurt Busiek, or rather: What Happened During My Week Away When Andrew Had To Write The Gosh! Blog. It’s a report on the Barcelona comics convention I went to. Sort of.

Farm 54 (originally Ferme 54) by Galit and Gilad Selikt arrived a few days ago. It’s a hardcover collection of three semi-autobiographical stories from three key moments in one person’s life: Noga, a Jewish girl born in the early 1970s who grew up in rural Israel. The FPI Blog posts a very good review (preview pages here) from someone who originally wanted to do the translation. “It might be one of the most important graphic novels to hit the British stores this year,” he says. Go read his review to see why. He also reckons it’s good companion piece to Joe Sacco’s war reportage.

Riffing on a similar theme here: Yossel – April 19, 1943 is one of two classic reprints from Joe Kubert this week, a man famed for his war stories (Sgt. Rock, Enemy Ace). It’s about a 15-year-old aspiring artist in the Warsaw Ghetto, and also an alternative reality – this could have been Kubert himself had his family not emigrated to America back in the twenties. It’s part of Kubert’s paperback trio from DC Comics this May – the other being Jew Gangster, with Dong Xaoi to follow a little later.

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Kia ora, Goshophiles!

Hayley is still in the US of A, this week perfecting her raccoon-wrasslin’ skills in the wild woods of Minnesota. She’ll be back next week, but for now you’ve got me. Buckle in, because I’m putting the pedal to the metal this week (as a young man might say on the mean streets of Paraparaumu)!


In case you missed it, we’re happy to say that there will be a Gosh Exclusive Bookplate Edition of Grandville Mon Amour, the latest in the adventures of Detective Inspector Archie LeBrock by Bryan Talbot. The book is out early next month, but we’re not expecting these to last too long, so get in quick and reserve yours now!

Every now and then a book it released that is so hefty, so colossal, so shelf-defyingly huge that we can’t actually supply you with a bag to carry it home in. 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, by Paul Levitz, is one of those books. It’s not cheap, but it’s an absolute must for DC fans, the kind of book you’ll be forever kicking yourself for not having picked up when you had the chance. Shipping in it’s own handsomely decorated box, the book is a lovely piece in and of itself, with the design sense of Taschen’s top end art books applied to a year by year trawl through then history of DC Comics. It has to be seen and handled to be truly appreciated, and luckily enough we have a display copy out for your perusal. Taschen also have plenty of images, including the below dwarfed Paul Levitz, here.

You know, Christmas is just around the corner. It’s been a tough year, and winter stretches out before you like a long, grey night of the soul. Just imagine; an interminable Christmas afternoon sat in front of the fire, your belly full of turkey and pudding. You’re bored, listless. Then you notice it, sitting under your coffee table where you were forced to store it: 75 Years of DC Comics. You go over and pick it up (bending at the knees so as not to throw your back), settle yourself back with some mince pies and a nice cup of tea (or perhaps some mulled wine), and read. Immediately you’re transported back to your childhood, those hazy days of yesteryear, full of bubblegum cards and stolen kisses, tyrannical schoolmasters and weekly trawls around the newsagents to get all the titles you were after. The afternoon passes in a bliss of sweet nostalgia. Or you could read it this weekend and look at all the pretty pictures. Up to you really.

Whatever you choose, in celebration of the book’s release we very pleased to be able to offer a super deal on a number of DC’s deluxe Archive range of books. If you’ve long had your eye on those saucy slices of comic history, but not quite wanted to splash out the full-price cash, then good news! We’ve been given the opportunity to offer a selection of these titles at 50% off the regular retail price! If you email us expressing interest in this deal, we can send you through a spreadsheet lisiting the books that are available. Just mark in the books you would like in the sheet, and email it back to us before 3pm on Monday 22nd November. Please note that supply of the books is conditional upon stocks at the supplier end, so we can’t guarantee you’ll get them, but we’ll certainly try for you, and we’ll drop you a line when they arrive. Also, we would ask that any books ordered should be collected within a two week period of their arrival, as space to store such items is extremely limited. Joe Kubert’s Enemy Ace Archives Vol 1 for £19 anyone? For a full list, email us at info@goshlondon.com and include “Archive Sale” in the subject header.

Fans of Alan Moore’s dulcet tones would be well advised to check out the lovely Unearthing Deluxe Boxed Set this week. It’s a spoken word piece by Moore which takes us through the life of his mentor and friend Steve Moore (no relation), the man Alan credits with teaching him how to write comics. With a soundtrack by a troupe of talented musicians, including Adam Drucker & Andy Broder (aka Crook&Flail) Mike Patton, Stuart Braithwaite, Zach Hill & Justin Broadrick, and a packaging imagery by acclaimed photographer Mitch Jenkins, this 2-hour narrative is spellbinding. The box set brings together both CD and vinyl versions of the full performance, as well as an additional EP with highlights from the score, imagery from Jenkins and a copy of Moore’s original script. Well worth it.

Our friends at Blank Slate publishing, who are producing an ever-more impressive range of titles with each passing quarter, bring us two new books this week. First up, The Girl and the Gorilla, by Madeline Flores. What’s it about? Aurelie is having a rough day. But her foul mood is quickly forgotten when she crosses paths with a Gorilla. Her day only gets more interesting from there! A chat with historical characters, a hunter who takes her under his wing and a forest of unusual residents. What else will she encounter? And who will save the day? German-born, US-based and thoroughly European in her style, Flores’ art has a lovely fluid, accessible quality to it, and the book looks like a lot of fun. A quick review of it (and my next pick) can be found here. Note the positive notice for At the Mountains of Madness, by the way. Bookplate editions still available. (I’m such a shill)

Second out the gate from Blank Slate is Sleepyheads, by Randall.C, a beautiful, lush dreamscape of a comic. It has an hypnotic, flowing style to it which reminds me of Pederosa’s Three Shadows, though the story is markedly different. The Comics Journal says: Randall C.’s stories are a Chinese puzzle box of which Neil Gaiman even would lose track of the pieces. He exells at metaphoric storytelling jumps, literally letting the characters dive into their own stories and incorporating that story into the main storyline where borders between dreams, stories and reality blur into one whole beautiful cuddle. All of this is accentuated with meanderings on life and love, wrapped in allegory, metaphor and playful language. Pick one up for a flick-through and discover it for yourself.

A little late to the party here, but the new Best American Comics 2010 is now out, guest edited this year by none other than Neil Gaiman. If you’re unfamiliar with these books, they’re a great way to find out about comics and creators who made a splash this past year but you may have overlooked. It’s a mix of extracts from longer works and self-contained shorts from a line-up of talent including Bryan Lee O’Malley, Gabrielle Bell, Chris Ware, David Mazzucchelli, Gilbert & Mario Hernandez, and Robert Crumb, among others. A great gift for anyone you want to introduce to the idea of comics as more than they might think.

David B. is a creator who always gets us a bit excited, so we’re happy to see his adaptation of Pierre Mac Orlan’s classic haunted pirate tale The Littlest Pirate King. It’s the first time we’ve seen David B’s colour art in English, and it’s a lovely thing to behold. It’s lovely to see Fantagraphics produce these kinds of lovely all-ages books with such high production quality. Long may it continue. Check out a preview here , and one of those ginchy Fantagraphics flick-throughs over here.

Okay, time to point some bullets:
- Batman, Batman, Batman! Did you know that if you say his name five times fast while looking in a mirror, he’ll appear behind you and steal your belt? True fact. Or maybe I got confused. Anyway, this week is a bumper crop for Grant Morrison Bat-fans, with both Batman Inc #1 and (the slightly late) Batman The Return #1 shipping out. Bruce Wayne is back. Oh yeah, I totally spoiled it for you! Previews for the former here!
- Dan Brereton is a legend, and Nocturnals is still an old favourite of mine, with it’s lush, painted family of misfit monsters. This week he has an art book on the shelves called Dan Brereton: The Goddess and the Monster. Newsarama interview him over here.

- Mike Mignola and Richard Corben make a great team, producing a consistent series of one-shots that have been some of the most entertaining books coming out of the Hellboy camp (which is high praise, given the consistent level of quality in that stable). This week they’re at it again with Hellboy Double Feature of Evil, featuring two stories with your favourite paranormal investigator. Dark Horse have a preview.

- The Extremist is one of the great lost Vertigo mini-series, never before collected. The Peter Milligan / Ted McKeever thriller (conceived by Brendan McCarthy) is a story of murder and betrayal against the backdrop of the extreme S&M scene. Controversial on its release in 1993, Vertigo have at last released it as a part of their Vertigo Resurrected line.
- Osborn #1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Rios follows Norman Osborne as he establishes his power base in the top-secret prison he now calls home. Also features a back-up story by Warren Ellis. Newsarama preview it here.

- Elmer GN, by Filipino artist Gerry Alanguilan, is the story of evolved, sentient chickens making a stand for their rights as the newest members of the human race. I think it might, just might, be some kind of allegory. It’s certainly getting a lot of praise, and looks very nice. There’s an amazing 30-page pdf preview here. But it has naughty bits, so no reading at work!
- Castle Waiting is a wonderful book, worthy of a good deal more attention than it gets. It’s a witty fantasy tale of women who work to build a refuge from an abandoned fairy tale castle, telling each other stories and doing their best to deal with the obstacles that life throws in their path. Creator Linda Medley has a clean, clear style and a knack for understated character. A contemporary of Bone, it’s certainly recommended to any fans of that series. The second hardcover volume is out this week, and you can find a video flickeroonie here.

- The third of Fantagraphics’ bumper Jason collections is out this week. What I Did HC collects together mystery adaptation The Iron Wagon, silent vignette collection Sshhhh!, and – my personal favourite of all Jason’s works – Hey, Wait…. If Hey, Wait… doesn’t break your heart just a little bit, I’m afraid to say that my diagnosis is that you’re dead inside.
- Eisner Shop SC is a collection of rare early Will Eisner stories from the pre-Spirit days, including Wags, the Black X, Uncle Sam, Mr. Mystic, Lady Luck, Baseball Comics and more.

- Last Days of American Crime by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini is a great slice of near-future sci-fi noir, set at the eve of the activation of a mind control device which will make crime impossible in the USA. A career criminal looks to make one last heist before the switch gets flicked. A fun read, with absolutely gorgeous art

And now for the news:

- Thought Bubble, the universally well-regarded comics convention held in Leeds as a part of the Leeds International Film Festival, is this coming weekend. It’s a four day event running 18th-21st November, with its centrepiece being the one day show held on Saturday 20th in Saviles Hall. John Romita Jr is the guest of honour, with Becky Cloonan making a special appearance, as well as a bevy of great UK writers and artists. Bryan Talbot will also be officially launching his latest, Grandville Mon Amour. More details can be found here. I’ll be in attendance, so if you see me wandering about, feel free to buy me a drink. Or, y’know, just give me the money and I’ll get it myself later. Promise.

And that’s me done! Ka kite ano!

Andrew.

Hey there, friends of Gosh!

I’m afraid Hayley has gone to New Orleans to learn the jazz trumpet, so you’re going to have a couple of weeks with me as your bit on the side. I don’t expect you to love me, or even stay the night, but you better keep me in the manner to which I am accustomed.

Anyway…comics!


The highlight of the week is something which will no doubt wind up as one of the highlights of the year: Acme Novelty Library Vol 20, the latest in Chris Ware’s continuing catalogue of bittersweet despair. Tangentially connected to Rusty Brown, this volume follows the life of its main character, Jordan W. Lint, from birth to death at the rate of around a page a year.

The always readable Robot 6 blog says: Acme Novelty Library #20 is about an a$$hole. The book’s main character, one Jordan W. Lint, is a bully, a coward, an adulterer, a drunkard, is frequently callous and cruel to friends and family, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In some regards he is an outright monster. Full review here.

It’s easy to take a creator of Ware’s calibre for granted, but he really is one of the few true geniuses working in comics today.

Speaking of geniuses, not that I want to throw the word around too much, but my second pick of the week would have to be the Fantagraphics release of The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec Vol 1, by Jacques Tardi. It’s not his weightiest work (that would be the amazing It Was the War of the Trenches, released in English earlier this year), but it’s certainly his most fun.

Set in Paris, in 1910 (though later volumes shift to post-WWI), the series (nine so far, with the tenth pending) follows cynical heroine Adèle Blanc-Sec as she uncovers the occult secrets of the criminal underword. This first in a planned series of handsome hardcover volumes collects the first two albums, Pterror Over Paris and The Eiffel Tower Demon. Recommended for fans of Hellboy, Beasts of Burden and Good Stuff You Should Be Reading. You can get the patented Fantagraphics Flip-through vid here.

Our erstwhile sister company Knockabout have two new releases out this week. First up is one which is getting a lot of press right now: Depresso (or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Embrace Being Bonkers!), by Brick.

The book is an often harrowing, honest and engaging autobiographical (albeit told through the fictional character of Tom Freeman) account of the author’s battles with depression. Using deft humour and an accessible style to convey his story as one of hope and struggle against obstacles from within and without, editorial cartoonist Brick (aka John Stuart Clark) has made a book that doesn’t fall into the obvious traps often seen with this kind of story. It’s an excellent work from an assured craftsman. Richard at the FPI blog has an insightful review here.


Also shipping this week, available in softcover for the first time, is A Disease of Language, the collection of Eddie Campbell’s adaptations of Alan Moore’s spoken word pieces A Birth Caul, and Snakes and Ladders. The collections also features an extensive interview with Moore by Campbell taken from the second issue of his sadly defunct Egomania magazine. The book makes for a wonderful read for fans of either creator: a particularly personal work on the part of Moore, and an effortless mixed-media adaptation of a complex narrative by Campbell. If you missed the long out of print hardcover, now’s your chance.

John Hicklenton was one of the most distinctive, unsettling artists to come out of the pages of 2000AD, a spiritual successor to Kevin O’Neill in many ways. I remember as a young man feeling decidedly uneasy with his work on Nemesis the Warlock; the twisted figures and ugly faces oozed a kind of corrupt darkness that stood in marked contrast to anything else I was reading at the time. I was in equal parts repelled and fascinated by it, and always followed whatever projects he was working on. As you’re probably aware, Hicklenton passed away earlier this year after a long struggle with MS, but not before he completed a final piece of work intended to act as his epitaph. 100 Months is powerful stuff, a primal scream of visual poetry from an artist who will be remembered. Pat Mills remembers him here.

There is criminally little available in English of the works of Stéphane Blanquet. Apart from the the odd appearance in anthologies such as Zero Zero, or Blab, and a story in the recent Dungeon Monstres Vol 3, his distinctive style has attracted little English language attention. Fantagraphics are helping to remedy that this week with the publication of Toys in the Basement, a children’s book with a pleasingly dark side. Blanquet is a master of the grotesque, so this twisted tale of vengeful toys should be a lot of fun. Video preview here.

From the archives of Things We Nearly Didn’t Order And Boy Would I Have Felt An Ass comes Pang the Wandering Shaolin Monk.

Collecting the webcomic of (nearly) the same name by Ben Costa, Pang is an historical kung-fu fiction, based on the legend of a wandering Shaolin monk (duh) in 17th Century China. It’s a great read, and although you can get the whole thing online for free as a webcomic, the book looks like the kind of handsome artifact that will cause people to raise their eyebrows appreciatively when they visit your house and see it on your shelf. Or perhaps you could leave it lying about, as though by accident, and then say something like “Oh, what’s this historically accurate yet highly entertaining book about the Shaolin monks of 17th Century China doing out here?” Just a thought. Anyway, if you like the fantastical/historical stylings of Usagi Yojimbo (and why wouldn’t you?), then this is a pretty good bet.

Post-apocalyptic dinosaur survival stories (as the ever-popular genre is known) don’t get much better than Mark Schultz’s seminal work Xenozoic Tales (or Cadillacs & Dinosaurs, as it was known through part of its history). It’s strange to imagine now that this series was touted as the next Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in its day, with a cartoon series, video games, action figures, trading cards and more. It never quite hit the giddy heights of TMNT, but it did okay, and then largely disappeared from popular culture. As to the comics themselves, Schultz did a total of 14 issues of the series, and they are a beautifully illustrated homage to classic adventure stories, particularly to the works of Frank Frazetta & Al Williamson. Unavailable since the mid-2000’s, Flesk have released a complete collection of the series, a thumping great 352-page oversized softcover that arrives this week. Definitely worth the time and money. Previews can be found here.

Jonathan Hickman has quite rightly become one of the hottest new writers in Marvel’s thoroughbred stable. His work on SHIELD, Fantastic Four and Secret Warriors has felt fresh and exciting, full of big concepts grounded by solid character work. Before his Marvel debut, he built his reputation on a series of titles at Image, among which was superhuman sci-fi A Red Mass for Mars. Now available as a collection, the mini series – beautifully illustrated by Ryan Bodenheim – tells of an apocalyptic future where an Earth battered by climate change, super-viruses (natural and technological), nuclear terrorism and amoral superbeings suddenly finds itself under threat from alien invaders. It’s a lot more action-oriented than Hickman’s usual creator-owned work, but he certainly shows the chops necessary to make it work. A few feelgood preview pages from the first issue can be found here.

Gosh, is that the time? Okay, let’s take a little walk down bullet-point lane:

- Fans of boxing and avatars of all that is good in the human spirit can bliss out this week to DC’s reprinting of Superman Vs Muhammad Ali, the classic Denny O’Neil / Neal Adams team-up. It’s available in two formats: a facsimile hardcover edition, which reproduces the story in its original oversized form, and a normal comic-sized hardcover which, oh so teasingly, has a number of extra features including sketches and so on. Which to choose? Which to choose?
- Atomic Robo has a new mini starting, Atomic Robo: The Deadly Art of Science. Are you reading Atomic Robo? You really should be.
- Now, I’m not normally one to recommend video game tie-ins, simply for the reason that more often than not the effort put into them is, well, cursory at best. But when the creative team on that video game tie-in is Cameron Stewart & Karl Kerschel, well, I’m left with little choice. They could do a My Little Pony comic, and I’d probably still be able to recommend it. So it’s with great pleasure that I heartily give my advance approval to Assassin’s Creed: The Fall, a three-issue mini-series which transplants the (excellent, by the way) game series into Tsarist Russia. Preview.
- Nick Spencer, the upcoming and very friendly writer who recently popped through Gosh’s doors, has been given the reigns of a T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents (type that five times fast) relaunch at DC. With art by Cafu and covers by Frank Quitely, it looks like a nice start for the classic Wally Wood characters. Preview here.
- Ian Edginton (joint holder, along with Dan Abnett, of the Hardest Working Writer in UK Comics award) and artistic collaborator Davide Fabbri return to the world of the Victorian Undead this week. We’ve had Sherlock Holmes battling zombies and contending with Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, but now Holmes and Watson find themselves pitting their wits against the vampiric menace of Dracula. It’s all in good fun, and a lot of fun it is.

And now for the news:
- Have you been salivating at the gigantic League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 1969 cover we have lurking at the top of our stairs? Well, you’ll be happy to know that Kevin O’Neill is now only a scant 12 pages away from finishing the book, putting us well on track for a release sometime around April 2011. Are you excited? I’ve seen a bunch of coloured pages and let me tell you, I’m excited!
- Our friend John Dunning (writer of Salem Brownstone, among other things) has alerted us to the onedotzero_adventures in motion festival at the BFI Southbank, running the 10th – 14th November. It’s an eclectic mix of visual arts featuring everything from an interactive installation by fashion designer/artist Cassette Playa, through to a screening of cut-scenes from the Call of Duty: Black Ops game. In between there somewhere is a showing of Steve Sale’s documentary Superhero Me, following his efforts to become a real-life costumed crusader in Epsom. Yes, Epsom. In Surrey. You can find out more about the man and the movie at his website here, and more about the onedotzero festival here.
- Big congratulations to Stephen Collins for winning this year’s Jonathan Cape/Observer/Comica Graphic Short Story competition! You may have seen Collins’ excellent work in the Solipsistic Pop anthologies. If not, do yourself a favour and check them out, and then jump on over to his blog, where you can also check out his winning entry. A real talent to watch. (Image below not from his winning submission. It’s just pretty great.)

And that’s me outta here until next week!

Andrew.

It’s that time of year (the BEST time of year) when stuff is getting spooky and we’re gearing up to accidentally set our trousers on fire in Lewes. Expect the coming weeks to be full of gods and monsters.

Best-selling author Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveller’s Wife) spent the last few years writing about ghosts in Highgate Cemetery but when she wasn’t doing that she was doing a syndicated comic for the Guardian in the space usually occupied by Posy Simmonds (Tamara Drewe). Now collected, the strange and lovely Night Bookmobile Exclusive Gosh! Bookplate Edition is on the shelves signed by the lady herself.

Gosh! Favourite Jill Thompson’s Scary Godmother is finally collected in one big hardcover from Dark Horse. In it you’ll get all four children’s books (Scary Godmother, Revenge of Jimmy, The Mystery Date, and The Boo Flu) but not the one-shots or comic miniseries. If you’ve never read the it before Thompson says, “Think the Addams Family and the Andy Griffith Show mash up! It’s a slightly gothic, totally silly, spooky fun comic that mixes in all of the things that I love – Halloween, monsters, wrestling, cooking, craft, humor and fun all in one comic!” You can see her amazing art in the preview. Perhaps this reissue will mean more Scary Godmother comics in the post? Fingers crossed.

Thompson also turns up in the House of Mystery Halloween Annual #2 doing a new Madame Xanadu story written by Mike Kaluta. Chris Roberson and Mike Allred’s iZombie’s in there, as well as Hellblazer by Peter Milligan and Guiseppe Cumoncoli and loads more. Matthew Sturges was the captain of this particular ship; he talks about it with CbR.

Mark Gatiss’ excellent History of Horror has probably got you all re-watching classic films and hankering for some proper old Universal monsters, so the timing for the re-release of Dick Briefer’s Frankenstein couldn’t be better. It’s the first volume in Craig Yoe’s new Horror Comic Book Masters Library, a series of hardcovers that will no doubt be as lovingly reproduced and presented as all of Yoe’s previous publications.

Briefer’s Frankenstein is a far different creature to the shambling unnamed thing in Shelley’s novel, even being referred to as The Merry Monster on frequent occasions. It’s regarded as the first ongoing comic book series in the horror genre and goes through stages of being darkly horrific and then alternatively just weird and funny. Briefer, who worked with Will Eisner on some of the very first ever comic books, popped up in Dan Nadel’s Art Out of Time in which he said of him:

…[Briefer was] one of the few guys in the 1940s who had that loose, gestural art style that’s funny. The drawing is inherently funny. Which is really unusual for humor comics of the time … [in that] it’s tight drawing. It’s self-contained and beautiful. But Briefer is all over the place. When he does these swooping pratfalls that Frankenstein takes, the lines actually reflect the gag. It’s nice. [...] And they’re funny as comics. They read well and are beautifully drawn; they’re full of unforgettable images, like the wizard eating Frankenstein on a hot dog. You’ll never forget it, for better or for worse.

If you like Fletcher Hanks or Basil Wolverton you’ll probably fancy this one too.

We’ve also got bunnies topping their wee selves in Dawn of the Bunny Suicides, another cracking book of cartoons from the very funny Andy Riley. In an incredibly interesting sidenote, I recently noticed that the broom in a packet of Haribo Horror Mix looks like a frightened Andy Riley bunny. This is a true fact though I have no proof on account of I ate it.

Another one from Dark Horse is Carlos Trillo and Eduardo Risso’s (100 Bullets) 1995 graphic novel Vampire Boy supposedly published in English for the first time though sources say otherwise (but argue that the SAF Comics edition was such a poor translation it doesn’t count). Comicbook Resources have a preview for you.

The Wednesday Conspiracy is another translation from Dark Horse, this time from the 2005 Spanish horror comic by Sergio Bleda. It’s about a Wednesday afternoon support group for people with supernatural powers they don’t want and can’t control that all goes horribly wrong when something starts to kill them off one by one. If you’re a fan of Buffy or the Umbrella Academy this may well be up your street.

It’s Halloween in California too in Odd Is On Our Side, a graphic novel adaptation of the Dean Koontz popular ghost-whisperer novel. It’s written by Fred Van Lente (Action Philosophers!) and illustrated by Australian manga artist Queenie Chan. If that sounds like your bag you can check out the preview here. There are more in the series to come.

And in a final Halloweeny push, you should pick up a copy of Ian Edginton and Horacio Domingues’ Victorian Undead Special. It’s got Dr Jekyll in it ipso facto the other guy too. Preview. Next week you can expect the trade collection of the original miniseries. There’s also the Tomb of Terror One-Shot featuring four Marvel monster tales by Paul Hornschemeier, Joe R. Lansdale, Joseph Thomas Pruett, Rob Williams, Jordan Raskin and Mark Texeira. Preview.

In trade paperback this week you’ll get 7 Psychopaths, the Fabien Vehlmann penned, Gosh! Favourite Sean Phillips (Criminal, Incognito) illustrated WWII Hitler assassination series. Andrew liked it a lot and so did this dude. Preview here.

More war in Brahm Revel’s Guerillas TP Volume 1, the series that saw the U.S. government send a bunch of specially trained monkeys to fight the Vietnam War. “Guerillas looks at the nature of war, the nature of man, and all the grey areas in between. It’s also an action-packed thrill-ride full of jungle warfare and simian acrobatics!” says Revel. Broken Frontier have a huge preview.

Scott Pilgrim fans will want to pick up Hopeless Savages Greatest Hits TP from Oni Press, the Eisner-nominated series about two ageing punk rockers who get married and move to the suburbs. Written by Jen Van Meter (Amazing Spider-Man Presents Black Cat), it’s illustrated by Christine Norrie (Queen & Country), Chynna Cluggston (Blue Monday), Ross Campbell (Wet Moon), and Bryan Lee O’Malley. This trade collects all the existing stuff so you’ll be bang up to date when the new series begins in 2011.

Then there’s British graphic novel maestro Al Davison’s Hokusai Demons & Other Tales of the Fox Mother TP which sold out completely in its hardcover incarnation. It’s 96-pages of and about Davison’s dreams of the Kitsune, a Japanese term for ‘fox’ but also the name of a mythical shape-changing trickster in Japanese folklore. Davison talks about the book, Doctor Who and other bits and pieces with Alex Fitch in this interview at Panel Borders.

And lastly, there’s Hellboy TP Volume 11: Masks & Monsters by Mike Mignola, James Robinson (Starman), Scott Benefiel and Jasen Rodriguez, collecting two long-out-of-print crossover stories featuring the spectral vigilante Ghost, Batman and Starman.

Speaking of Batman, there are loads of Bat-related titles that need mentioning – a colony, if you will. Here goes:

Paul Cornell’s (Captain Britain & The MI:13) Batman spin-off, Knight & Squire, launches this week. The first issue of six can be previewed here, with art by Jimmy Broxton of The Unwritten fame. Says Cornell, “The Knight and Squire are going to have some reasonably exciting adventures if that’s all right with everyone.” More of that here.
Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #5 (Of 6) by Grant Morrison and Ryan Sook sees Wayne on the hard-boiled streets of Gotham as a private investigator. Goods hats. Preview.

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home one-shot line starts with four of ‘em out of the gate in one go. Bruce Wayne The Road Home: Batman & Robin is particularly notable because it’s written by Fabian Nicieza (Red Robin) and drawn by Cliff Richards (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

For classic Bat-stuff pick up the DC Comics Presents Batman/Catwoman One-Shot which collects the 2004 two-parter Trail of the Gun written by Ann Nocenti with typically great art by Ethan Van Sciver.

DC Comics Presents Brightest Day also hits the shelf, being 96-pages of hard-to-find Deadman/Hawkman stuff by Neil Gaiman, Ed Brubaker, Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, Scott Kolins, Arnold Drake, Carmine Infantino, Teddy Kristiansen, Joe Bennett, Sean Phillips and Ryan Sook. You can pick it up in tandem with Untold Tales of Blackest Night, a one-shot by Geoff Johns, Peter J. Tomasi, J.T. Krul, Ethan Van Sciver (him again), Ivan Reis and Jay Fabok.

As for #1s, here’s the lowdown:

Strange Tales II #1 is more classic Marvel characters done by indie hotshots. Namely Rafael Grampa, Kate Beaton, Frank Santoro, Dash Shaw, Shannon Wheeler, Jillian Tamaki, Jeff Lemire, Kevin Huizenga, Jhonen Vasquez, Gene Yang, and Nick Gurewitch. Preview.

Speaking of indie comics, Digested #1 is by Melbourne-based cartoonist Bobby N. Back in Australia they’re already up to #3 of the slice-of-life series but this is the first issue we’ve had. There’s a preview over on his site.

Superior #1 (of 6) is a new superhero comic from Mark Millar (Kick-Ass) and his Ultimate Avengers 2 collaborator Leinil Francis Yu (Secret Invasion). “Superior is in a lot of ways is the project I’ve wanted to write my entire life. It’s everything I love about those big bombastic kind of Superman/Captain Marvel heroes.” Preview.

Edge of Doom #1 is a new ongoing series by Steve Niles and Kelley Jones. Niles talks Edge of Doom with CbR and there are preview bits here.

And finally, Hellblazer: City of Demons #1 (of 5) is written by Si Spencer and illustrated by Sean Murphy whose excellent artwork you’ll have seen in Grant Morrison’s Joe the Barbarian.

I reckon that’s about your lot. It’s a huge week with loads of stuff I’ve undoubtedly left out so make sure you check the shipping list so you don’t miss anything and blame it on me.

– Hayley

Tēnā koutou, folks!

Unfortunately Wee Hayley Campbell is off on some kind of crazed party week in France or something, so you’re stuck with me for what will, I’m sure, prove to be a (possibly) stimulating, (conceivably) enlightening and (god willing) brief encounter. So without further ado, let’s get to it!

So, Scott Pilgrim, huh? Who would have thought, all those years ago as Bryan Lee O’Malley shepherded the first volume into the world, that we’d have people in near-hysterics feverishly waiting for the release of the final chapter? But here we are, with midnight launches, street parties and a feature film for what is probably the biggest release of the comic book year. No kiddin’, and you know something else? It’s worth the hype. If you haven’t stuck your beak into Scott Pilgrim before now, put off by its style, affronted by its black-and-whiteness, or just plain unaware it existed, then may I highly recommend it to Sir or Madam? It’s a lot of fun, full of great characters, kung fu, love, swords, life, funny stuff and a good dose of storytelling magic to boot. We’ve got the lot, now in store! And I’ll tell you what: try it out with volume one, and if you don’t like it (and keep it in nice condition) then you can bring it back (with receipt) for full exchange of value. Fair deal?

Get on board now, and don’t forget your chance to meet the man himself at our signing: 18th August, 4.30-6.30pm. Tell your friends (and get here early)!

What else this week? Well, in the Shadow of Pilgrim there are a few other notable releases. First up has to be Flight Volume 7, the final book in Kazu Kibuishi’s amazing, award-winning anthology series. For those who don’t know, Flight is a showcase for artists and writers who, for the most part, are unknown in the comics world (many are animators). Kibuishi’s editorial eye is impeccable, and the quality of the contributions are second-to-none, with stories ranging from high-fantasy to motorbike racing history. In this volume, besides Kibuishi himself, contributors include Michel Gagné, Leland Myrick, Kean Soo and plenty more. Previews here. We should have the earlier volumes in too, so pick them up and have a look.

Another little gem this week is the Joe Kelly / Max Fiumara gangsters’n’dragons story Four Eyes. Set against a backdrop of depression-era Brooklyn in a fantasy world where gangsters are involved in illegal dragon-fighting, Four Eyes is about a young man whose father is killed while trying to capture dragons for a gangland boss. Taken under the wing of the gang, he begins to learn the trade, imprinting himself on a dragon in the process, before learning the dark secret that lies behind his father’s death. It’s intended to be an epic tale of gangland revenge, of which this TP represents the first arc, and so far it’s been a good old read. Fiumara’s art doesn’t hurt either. Hey, try before you buy: here’s the first issue for free.

It’s Whatever Happened week from DC, as Messrs Moore & Gaiman both get new softcover editions of their respective Superman & Batman stories. The Alan Moore collection of Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow includes his and Curt Swan’s classic titular story, plus the Superman annual story “For the Man Who Has Everything”, with art by Dave Gibbons, and the Rick Veitch-drawn Superman / Swamp Thing team-up from DC Comics Presents #85. Meanwhile over in Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader, Neil Gaiman & Andy Kubert’s existential Batman story is collected along with Gaiman shorts from Secret Origins and Batman Black & White, with art by Simon Bisley, Mark Buckingham, Mike Hoffman & Bernie Mireault.

Plenty more slightly off-centre bits and pieces this week. The Sean Phillips-drawn WWII Euro-actioner 7 Psychopaths finishes this week, and it’s been a fun ride while it lasted. Meanwhile Peter Milligan takes the scripting reigns for a dark science fiction mini-series published by the always-slick Radical publishing. After Dark is based on a story idea by Antoine Fuqua & Wesley Snipes (Hollywood pitch, anyone?), and drawn by Jeff Nentrup.

Eric Powell’s Goon spin-off Buzzard sees a second issue this week, with his usual lush art (and speaking of the Goon, have you seen the trailer for the animated film, produced by David Fincher?) Between this and Chimichanga, we’ve been a bit spoiled for Powell lately. Take advantage of it and encourage him to do more before he goes off and manages roller derby teams and cage fighters for a living, or something.

Also on the block this week: Rick Remender begins the final story arc of his reliably entertaining (and sometimes surprisingly affecting) Fear Agent; Jeff Smith continues to bring the Tesla-inspired fun in Rasl; Northlanders begins a new story arc entitled Metal, of which I heartily approve; Thunda, King of the Congo Archives reprints some classic Frazetta; and Hotwire Deep Cut #1 continues the adventures of Warren Ellis & Steve Pugh’s cyberpunk exorcist. Can I say cyberpunk anymore? Because that’s what it is.

If capes, tights’n’cowls are more your scene, there’s still plenty to keep you busy. Ed Brubaker continues the Serpent-Crown-On-Mars shenanigans of Secret Avengers, while Jonathan Hickman continues to bring us one of the best Fantastic Four runs we’ve seen in quite some time (with new regular artist Neil Edwards).

Over in the flowery wonderland of Jason Aaron-ville, he’s doing his always welcome thing in both PunisherMAX #9 and Wolverine Weapon X #15 (where, by the way, he has been doing an absolutely brilliant Deathlok storyline these last few issues), and Keiron Gillen’s hanging in there on Thor #612 before Matt Fraction takes over (and doing an admirable job with fellow Brit Dougie Braithwaite). Also in, Franken-Castle #19 continues the lunacy of Rick Remender’s run in a crossover with Dark Wolverine, Roger Langridge & Chris Samnee continue their great all-ages work on Thor The Mighty Avenger #2, and Ed Brubaker & Mike Perkins’ Marvels Project gets the hardcover treatment.

Meanwhile DC get us the third issue of the pulpy actioner First Wave by Brian Azzarello and Rags Morales, Paul Cornell’s having fun with Lex Luthor in Action Comics #891 and J M Straczynski and Don Kramer begin to play the changed history game in earnest in Wonder Woman #601.

And last but certainly not least, Batman Return of Bruce Wayne #4 rolls into stores this week with Buffy stalwart Georges Jeanty on art chores in place of the previously advertised Cameron Stewart. So, after Caveman Batman, Puritan Batman and Pirate Batman, this week it’s…COWBOY BATMAN! With added Jonah Hex.

Don’t forget to check downstairs this week: we’ve got some great new packs in, including all the Hellboy mini-series, a brilliant Elephantmen pack including sketchbooks, Mike Allred Atomics goodness and lots more. Not to mention the usual array of super-cheap back-issues, both new and old, still in stock.

San Diego Comic-Con occured over this past weekend, of course, and every news outlet under the sun has coverage. Expect round-up posts for the next few days, but meanwhile here’s all the SDCC-tagged posts by The Beat.

And that’s about it! Hayley’s back from her Sex & the City-styled gallivanting next week, so normal service will be resumed.

Haere rā!

-Andrew.

“The cleanest toilet I’ve ever seen in a comic shop.”
- Dan Clowes. A proud moment in Gosh! history.

A big thank you to everyone who came to the Dan Clowes and Chris Ware signing yesterday!

Lovely chaps the both of ‘em. I never got to whinge to Ware about my Jimmy Corrigan-induced eye damage but whatever – the sun was out and sometimes you can’t help being cheery. Look! Here’s you:

I hope your sunburn has subsided. (Incidentally, here’s a Gosh! Public Service Announcement from someone who used to live in Australia where sun equals certain screaming death: Listen to Syd Seagull. No, really! I’m quite serious.)

Anyway, if you’re now flipping through your diaries and despairing you can stop – we’ve got big news! Becky Cloonan (Demo, Pixu, American Virgin), Kieron Gillen (Phonogram, Thor) and Jamie McKelvie (Phonogram, Suburban Glamour) will be stopping by on Saturday the 5th of June for a Gosh! basement signing. All details are over in this post here, along with a preview of the special Cloonan/McKelvie jam print you’ll get for free on the day if you’re in early. Aw hell, it’s so nice I’ll put it here too:

Right then, here’s what this week’s delivery holds in store. There’ll be a huge Wednesday Comics hardcover collection for starters (oh yes!), and a deluxe 10-year anniversary hardcover edition of Brian Michael Bendis’ Fortune & Glory: A True Hollywood Comic Book Story, the tale what happened when one of his stories got optioned and the movie madness that followed. It’s his personal Hollywood experience in cartoon form full of ridiculous phonecalls, endless meetings, characters and anecdotes so absurd they have to be true. iFanboy have a review and preview pages and Comics Bulletin have an interview with Bendis from around the time the book first appeared.

‘…It’s almost like that scene in The Big Picture where that agent says to Kevin Bacon, “You’re a genius, I haven’t read your work but I’m never wrong.” It’s the same thing, I mean, they call you up, they’ve not read your work but they’re telling you how much they love you and how much money everyone’s gonna make and what a genius you are and then they realize they haven’t even read the book. They literally give you a ten-minute speech about how they’re the perfect place for you to be, and then “Could you send us a copy?”’

Madam Samurai looks like it’ll be a good’un. Written by Gary Young (screenwriter of the recent Michael Caine film Harry Brown) and illustrated by Eagle Award-winning artist David Hitchcock (Spring Heeled Jack), it’s about a young female samurai warrior who travels from feudal Japan to Victorian London on a mission of vengeance. Optimum Wound reckons it looks like a “badass little graphic novel” and have preview pages and even a book trailer if you fancy it. This way, folks.

Gosh! Favourite Sean Phillips (Incognito, Criminal) leaves the beaten path of noir and turns his hand to WWII in the series written by French comics scribe Fabien Vehlmann (Green Manor), 7 Pychopaths #1. It came out in France in 2007 but this is the first time the series will see print in the States/UK. Like Inglorious Basterds it’s a Hitler assassination plot but this early reviewer says it’s much more than that and wagers you’ll be hooked after one issue.

Phillips says“this is probably the only chance you’ll get to see me draw uniforms and tanks and planes. And a roomful of Hitler impersonators…”

Here’s a preview of his reliably brilliant artwork which he talks about in this Newsarama interview, Bristol board and all.

Phillips’ Criminal co-conspirator Ed Brubaker begins his run on the Heroic Age’s Secret Avengers #1 this week and talks about it here.

“The real crux of what I’m trying to do is a team book that feels somehow different from how we’ve seen team books up to this point. This is very much about taking that pulpy espionage flavour, mixing it with a Mission Impossible vibe, and doing it with superheroes. It’s a new starting point…. It’s very much something that ties in with real world history, but bringing in that Doc Savage, H.P. Lovecraft tradition that superheroes came out of. It’s very much about stuff we haven’t seen in Marvel.”

Illustrated by Mike Deodato Jr. Preview here.

There’s also a mad Titan loose in the Marvel Universe in The Thanos Imperative: Ignition One-Shot by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. If you’ve not been keeping up to date on your cosmic books Lanning says this is a great jumping-on point as well as being full of stuff for devoted readers.

“…This is probably the biggest and most serious cosmic epic we’re ever going to produce, but there’s still going to be an opportunity for a gag or two. Rocket Raccoon’s in it, after all.”

An interview and a preview too over at CbR.

The second issue of Grant Morrison’s six-parter Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne hits the shelves tomorrow and this time ‘round it’s illustrated by Frazer Irving (Azrael, Seven Soldiers). Next time it’s Yanick Paquette’s turn. Preview!

That’s it for now. Remember that next week’s comics are delayed because of bank holiday Monday. There’ll be nothing here for you on Thursday but our helpless shrugs.

See you tomorrow.

– Hayley

We’ve been rather busy on the Gosh! Blog while you’ve been looking the other way. Yesterday I announced our upcoming signing with Dan Clowes (Ghost World, David Boring) and Chris Ware (Acme Novelty Library) in May, and a couple of days before that we received our Phonogram Volume 2: Singles Club Bookplate Editions. We sold out temporarily but we’ve got ‘em back in again, hurrah. And, of course, if you happened to buy a bookplate-less copy from us earlier in the day you’re more than welcome to come and claim your plate, signed and numbered by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie.

As for comics, there’s no shortage of stuff to point at. Late last week we got the Kick Ass trade paperback in, complete with movie poster cover, hyperbolic taglines and various other assorted nonsense. If you’ve not yet jumped on the Kick Ass bandwagon have a gander at Boing Boing’s recent review of the thing which creator Mark Millar calls “a hymn to neo-conservatism”. Over at the Guardian blog there’s a piece on Kick Ass potentially changing the course of comicbook movie adaptations, and Jane Goldman talks about young girls dropping the C-bomb. Then if you still want more here’s Millar talking about lots of things, like his hometown Glasgow, and how every writer in Hollywood is a skinny bald guy with glasses who hangs out in the coffee shop all day.

Jaime Hernandez fans better dig deep for their remaining pennies after blowing all their pocket money on the big red Art of Jaime Hernandez book. Now you’ll be getting another dose of Fantagraphics’ Love & Rockets Library with Penny Century. This volumes picks up right after Perla La Loca left off, beginning with the now out-of-print graphic novel Whoa Nellie! which is probably the best female wrestling comic in town. Fantagraphics have graciously provided you with a 14-page PDF preview and one of their now-famous manhandling videos.

Also from Fantagraphics is the next in their ongoing line of Jaques Tardi books. It Was the War of the Trenches is Tardi’s defining statement on World War I, which has long been an obsession of his. Back in the early 80s RAW published a chapter, and then Drawn & Quarterly did a few more in the ‘90s all of which are now long out of print. Since only a fraction of Trenches was ever available to us English-speaking folk it’s a nice to see the whole lot of it in one place. Art Spiegelman calls ‘this devastating crater of a work…a compulsively readable wail of Existential despair, a kaleidoscope of war’s dehumanizing brutality and of Everyman’s suffering, as well as a deadpan masterpiece of the darkest black humor.’ So it must be good, then. Again, (thanks, Fanta!) a 10-page PDF preview and a video too.

If classic stuff in lovely big hardcovers is your bag you’re definitely in luck this week. Obergeist was voted as Wizard Magazine’s Best Horror Comic of 2001 and still features on their Top 100 list of graphic novels of all time so it’s about time the now hard-to-find work got a fancy hardcover release. Written by Dan Jolley (Firestorm) with art by Tony Harris (Starman, Ex Machina) it’s a controversial series about a Nazi butcher scientist ordered to create telepathic soldiers. In an interview with PopCultureShock Harris talks about his twenty years in the business and also tells you what makes this edition of the series so special. The chronologically conscious will probably be happy to know that while in the initial trade paperback collection their one-shot prequel Obergeist: The Empty Locket was chopped up and inserted between issues as flashbacks, it won’t be the case this time round. In this age of DVD special features it goes without saying (but I’ll saying it anyway) that there’s also the usual bevy of promo art and previously unseen design work as well as a brand new cover by Harris and JD Mettler, regular Harris colourist.

The Creeper by Steve Ditko is another biggie to weigh you down this Thursday. Six years after Spider-Man’s first appearance, The Creeper debuted in Showcase #73 courtesy of Ditko. He then went on to do a six issue miniseries called Beware the Creeper but left DC in a huff midway through the final one. He returned to the character for DC’s short-lived Showcase-esque anothology series 1st Issue Special #7 and again for a few issues of World’s Finest Comics in the late ‘70s. All of that stuff is collected here in what looks to be in the same Archive-y format of DC’s stellar Jack Kirby collections. Here’s a chap doing an examination of Ditko’s evolving art style using The Creeper as an example, complete with loads of page scans, and here’s a history of the character if my wee summary doesn’t suffice. Ditko hands abound.

So that’s all yer classic collected stuff out of the way. What’s new in? Here’s one that’s been getting a lot of buzz recently: A Home For Mr Easter by Brooke A. Allen. It’s the story what-happens-next when an awkward teenager thinks she’s found the Easter Bunny. It’s a road-trip adventure story and the illustration is rather wonderful. There is a dozen or so preview pages over at the publisher’s website.

Big things are brewing over in the Marvel camp with the beginning of the X-Men Second Coming crossover event this week. IGN gives you a full run-down on events so far and a character spotlight to boot. Then you can head over to the ever-reliable CbR for a preview of #1.

And even the small press shelf downstairs has a few new bits on it worth mentioning. There’s Decadence #7, a 68-page comics anthology (reviewed here) featuring work by Leon Sadler, Daniel Swan, Tsemberlidis, Alex Payne, Daniel Hallett and our very own Jon Chandler. There’s also Part 2 of Lando’s Island 3 which then continues in an entirely separate publication right next to it on the shelf, Island 3 Part 3. Lando’s also got an eight-page book called Last Drink which was the 3rd prize winning entry in the Manga Jiman 2009 competition. Lovely cover on it too. Look!

So that’s about it. Don’t forget that next week’s comic delivery will be delayed due to the Bank Holiday weekend. You can come get your stuff on Friday the 9th of April instead of the usual Thursday.

– Hayley

While you were looking the other way yesterday we posted lots of exciting things on the Gosh! Blog. You might have missed ‘em but it’s nothing a quick scroll of the mouse can’t fix. Here’s a round-up:

The next signing date to mark in your diary is the 24th of October. He of Action Philosophers! and Comic Book Comics fame, Fred Van Lente, will be making a rare UK appearance in the Gosh! basement. He also writes Amazing Spider-Man, Marvel Zombies, and Incredible Hercules so be sure to bring all that stuff along to get scribbled on.

Upstairs we’ve got a wall of original Duncan Fegredo art for sale. Some pages come with an extra page of pencils and all of ‘em are from the recent Hellboy: The Wild Hunt. I’ve put scans and prices up over in this post here. Even if you can barely afford a packet of chocolate hobnobs you should get to the shop and marvel at the lack of Tipp-Ex.

Our growing list of Exclusive Bookplate Editions has expanded once more: In late November you’ll be able to get your hands on a copy of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Incognito trade-paperback, complete with a signed and numbered Gosh! bookplate. All details and lovely pictures up here.

Over the weekend Bryan Talbot sat downstairs and happily signed away the afternoon. If you weren’t able to make it you’ll be glad to know we’ve got loads of copies of his brand new hardcover graphic novel Grandville (which he promises is the first in a series of several) signed by the man himself. You’ll find them centre-stage when you next walk in the door.
Of course if you don’t know what I’m talking about you should watch this book trailer and pretend you did all along.

There’s something by almost everyone in this week’s delivery because of the overriding feeling of anthologyness.

Liberty Comics #2: A CBLDF Benefit Book has dozens of notable names on board and here are some of them: Neil Gaiman and Jim Lee (preview pages here), Jimmy Palmiotti and Jim Rugg, Mike Allred, Ray Fawkes and Cameron Stewart, Brian Wood (his first new Channel Zero story in several years! Preview at The Beat), Ben McCool and Ben Templesmith, Dave Gibbons doing a Martha Washington thing, Paul Pope, Jason Aaron and loads more. Editor Jamie S. Rich tells you all about it here.

Just like last time, all proceeds from this comic go to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Speaking of which, we’ve just received a bunch of flyers for a play based on the whole Mike Diana fiasco. Busted Jesus Comix plays at London’s Above the Stag theatre in November.

The House of Mystery Halloween Annual has a regular story by the in-House team of Matthew Sturges, Luca Rossi and Jose Marzan Jr along with several other short stories crammed into its 48 pages by this lot: Peter Milligan (Hellblazer, Greek Street), Giuseppe Camunculi (doing a Hellblazer story), Stefano Landini, Matt Wagner, Bill Willingham (doing a Merv Pumpkinhead thing), Mark Buckingham, Kevin Nowlan and more. If that’s not enough to tempt you there’s also a thing about Chris Roberson and Mike Allred’s upcoming series I, Zombie.

ACT-I-VATE Primer HC is another anthology featuring never-before-seen stuff by Dean Haspiel, Nick Bertozzi, Michael Cavallaro, Mike Dawson, Simon Fraser, Michel Fiffe, Tim Hamilton, Ulises Farinas, Leland Purvis, Joe Infurnari, Molly Crabapple, John Leavitt, Pedro Camargo, Jim Dougan, Hyeondo Park, Maurice Fontenot, Jennifer Hayden, and Roger Langridge.

The reliably brilliant Langridge (Fred the Clown) pops up again in The Muppet Show (TP and HC) which for silly legal reasons we couldn’t get as it was coming out issue by issue but we can have as many as we like now it’s a collection. It’s pretty much what it says on the tin only better. Here’s a review of #1.

Same story goes for Mark Waid’s The Incredibles series which is now sitting on our new release shelf. Waid talks about it here and here. Talking of Pixar, go see Up. But don’t wear mascara like what I did.

You are There HC is a graphic novel by Jaques Tardi, last mentioned here on the eve of the release of West Coast Blues.

You are There is one of the first graphic novels to be published in Europe and this is the first time it’s been available in English.

Punisher Frank Castle MAX #75 is worth a look this week not only because it’s illustrated by Gosh! Favourite Laurence Campbell but also because it’s twice as big as usual. You’ll find stuff by (this post seems a lot like an incredibly long credit sequence but I’m going to do it anyway) Charlie Huston, Ken Lashley, Peter Milligan, Tomm Coker, Gregg Hurwitz, Das Pastoras, Thomas Piccirilli and of course Campbell, plus an 8-page preview of Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon’s PunisherMAX #1. The internets provide you with a preview.

Deadpool #900 is a whopping 104-page special commemorating Deadpool’s 900th issue (which it isn’t). Deep breath, another role call: Jason Aaron, Mike Benson, Charlie Huston, Joe Kelly, Duane Swierczynski, Fred Van Lente (that man again), Kyle Baker, Shawn Crystal, Sanford Green, Rob Liefeld, Chris Staggs, and Dalibor Talijic. And what makes it extra news worthy is the lovely-looking Dave Johnson cover who sadly doesn’t get to do great things on the cover of 100 Bullets anymore. Here’s a preview and here’s all the creators sitting around talking about Deadpool. “The guy’s got mad weapons coming out of his ass. C’mon on!” says Benson.

That’s it for this week but there’s yet more wisdom to impart. Big Hairy Alan Moore is launching a new national magazine – the first underground magazine of the 21st century, so they say – called Dodgem Logic, published by the same chaps who brought you the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Fat Freddy’s Cat Omnibuses. Published every other month, it’s a 40-page full colour wossname about all sorts of things. The first issue features Kevin O’Neill, Savage Pencil, Graham Linehan and Josie Long, as well as two new pages of Mustard comedy stuff. You can read all about it here.

And lastly, here’s three bits of news from DC that you should know:

- The final issue of Wednesday Comics came out a couple of weeks ago and they’ve already unveiled plans for an enormous collection.
- When the Josh Brolin/Megan Fox/John Malkovich Jonah Hex film comes out next year you’ll also have an original Justin Gray/Jimmy Palmiotti/Tony DeZuniga Hex graphic novel to pick up on the way home from the cinema.
- The writers of Blackest Night aren’t just sticking to dead characters – they’re now dredging up old, cancelled series. I wonder what Eddie Campbell would have to say about that.

– Hayley